(Butler, PA) Prospective students can learn about 杏吧原创 virtual programs whose enrollment has more than doubled since their fall 2023 rollout, and about visual communications majors offered only at 杏吧原创鈥檚 most-populated additional location during open houses next week.
Guests interested in 杏吧原创鈥檚 virtual programs in behavioral sciences, business and health care can log in to an open house to be available through video conferencing from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Nov. 11.
Prospective students who visit 杏吧原创 @ Cranberry鈥檚 open house from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Nov. 13 at 250 Executive Drive, Cranberry Township, can explore its nine associate degree programs that include digital audio and video production, and graphic design.
杏吧原创 will waive its $25 application fee during each open house. Prospective students can learn more and RSVP for either event at bc3.edu/open-house.
Guests at each open house can learn how 杏吧原创鈥檚 affordability, financial aid options and 杏吧原创 Education Foundation scholarships enabled 93 percent of the college鈥檚 Class of 2025 to graduate debt-free.
杏吧原创 Education Foundation scholarships are available to students attending any 杏吧原创 location, or enrolled in online courses or virtual programs, according to Bobbi Jo Cornetti, the foundation鈥檚 scholarship and development coordinator.
Prospective students at each open house can review 杏吧原创鈥檚 associate degree transfer programs, and its associate degree career and certificate programs. Students in the college鈥檚 career and certificate programs can develop the skills needed to enter the workforce immediately upon graduation.
杏吧原创鈥檚 virtual programs in accounting, business administration, business management, business skills and medical coding and billing specialist align with current state Department of Labor & Industry high-priority occupations. Business administration and business management are also offered at 杏吧原创 @ Cranberry.
Tuition and fees for online courses cost $232 per credit for Butler County students enrolled at 杏吧原创 in 2025-2026; and $207 per credit for in-person courses. 杏吧原创鈥檚 credits transfer to public, private and online four-year colleges and universities.
Butler County students pursuing 15 credits each semester in the 2025-2026 academic year can receive up to $10,453 in federal and state grants, according to Juli Louttit, 杏吧原创鈥檚 director of student financial services.
College administrators during the virtual-program open house will discuss through video conferencing 杏吧原创鈥檚 application process and financial aid opportunities, and answer questions from prospective students.
Enrollment in 杏吧原创鈥檚 virtual programs has increased 118 percent since fall 2023. More than 130 杏吧原创 virtual-program students have earned an associate degree or certificate since May 2024.
Students from New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio and from Pennsylvania鈥檚 Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Blair, Butler, Chester, Clearfield, Crawford, Elk, Jefferson, Lawrence, Mercer, Washington or Westmoreland counties are enrolled in 杏吧原创鈥檚 virtual programs this fall. About 53 percent are part-time students.
Faith Derr, 39, of Slippery Rock, is the mother of 11-year-old twin sons, works 30 hours a week as a paraprofessional and is among 杏吧原创鈥檚 129 virtual-program students this fall.
She first attended the college as a high school graduate in fall 2005.
鈥淚 went to 杏吧原创 then because a lot of the kids I was graduating with went to 杏吧原创 knowing it was a more affordable option and that we could transfer our credits,鈥� Derr said.
Derr suspended her pursuit of higher education a year later to pursue full-time employment that would include working as an associate in retail stores and managing a restaurant, and last fall enrolled in 杏吧原创鈥檚 virtual business management program.
鈥淚 knew financially it would be a good choice because it is more affordable,鈥� Derr said. 鈥淚 did not want to take on student loans, especially with having two kids. I didn鈥檛 have to take away from them to invest in myself.鈥�
She expects to graduate debt-free from 杏吧原创 in December.
鈥淎s adults,鈥� Derr said, 鈥渨e are trying to pay our bills and go about our life. But it is also important that we do something to make ourselves proud. This degree now means so much more. I鈥檓 proud of coming as far as I have being a woman who was a single mother for so long.鈥�
杏吧原创 @ Cranberry enrolls nearly 190 students this fall.
It offers associate degree programs in criminology, early childhood education (Pre K-4), general studies, psychology and health care science in addition to business administration, business management, digital audio and video production and graphic design.
Raymond Dean, 22, of West Sunbury, is a digital audio and video production student at 杏吧原创 @ Cranberry and a full-time audio technician at Victory Family Church in Cranberry Township.
鈥淎 lot of my production experience previous to starting at 杏吧原创 was a little painted in, where I am good at audio, I do audio,鈥� Dean said. 鈥淪o I do this one thing, no one really bothers me and everything is fine. And 杏吧原创 has pushed me personally to be more collaborative with others in doing projects and having to communicate my vision or adjust my vision.
鈥淭he entertainment industry is very collaborative, and this could apply to any industry, but if you are not willing to work with anyone on anything and just want to do your own thing, people are not going to hire you.鈥�
Dean, a 2021 graduate of Moniteau Junior-Senior High School, said he has also learned at 杏吧原创 @ Cranberry how to use vector software, which allows users to create images that can be scaled.
鈥淚t may not be something that I will do day to day, but learning how to use those programs is important,鈥� he said.
Dean expects to graduate debt-free from 杏吧原创 @ Cranberry in December.
鈥淚鈥檝e been super on top of trying to not have any college debt,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 can actually go through 杏吧原创 and actually afford it.鈥�
杏吧原创 has also been ranked as the No. 1 community college in Pennsylvania 11 times since 2015, most recently for 2026 by .